Window raiser

ABSTRACT

In the illustrated window raiser, the window is raised or lowered by a motor which drives a screw engaged with a nut constituting a slide guided in a slideway by means of two symmetrical crossed arms. The arms are connected to the slideways at the base of the window and to two fixed center slideways and are connected to each other at their crossing point by an articulation carried by the nut. The articulation rigidly interconnects two semi-arms constituting one of the arms and disposed on each side of the other arm which is in a single piece. The two arms are capable of undergoing angular movements on each side of the axis of the articulation. A drive comprising a pinion and a rack cable may be substituted for the illustrated screw and nut mechanism.

DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to window raisers comprising two crossedarms of equal length disposed symmetrically relative to a roughlyvertical axis, each of the arms being provided at one end with a memberguided in a rectilinear slideway rigid with the base of the window, thearms having at their crossing point a common pivotal connection carriedby a slide which is guided in a slideway whose axis coincides with theaxis of symmetry of the two arms.

In French Pat. No. 1,264,086, which discloses such a window raiser, thetwo arms are, at the end thereof remote from the base of the window,pivotally mounted on fixed pins and the common pivot pin extends throughoblong openings formed in the respective arms. Bearing in mind theraising travel which must be obtained, this known arrangement results ina relatively large vertical overall size and difficulties as concernsthe positioning of the mechanisms in the box structure of some vehicledoors.

In order to overcome these drawbacks, the invention provides a windowraiser of the aforementioned type, wherein, the end of each arm which isremote from the slideway at the base of the window carries a rollerwhich is also guided in a fixed slideway whose axis is perpendicular tothe vertical axis of the slideway and defines a centre line on each sideof which the two arms are capable of moving.

For this purpose, preferably one of the arms is in a single piecewhereas the other arm comprises two semi-arms located on each side ofthe first arm, the articulation common to the two arms being arranged insuch manner as to ensure the rigid interconnection of the two semi-arms.This arrangement permits a considerable increase in the extent of theangular movements of the arms and consequently reduces the verticaloverall size. It is then possible to equip any door with the proposedwindow raiser whose arrangement moreover permits the provision of thegreatest thickness in the middle of the door panel where the curvedshape of the door, if such a curved shape is provided, is maximum.

The adaptation of the arms to the possible curved shape of the windowmay be achieved by the flexibility of the arms an/or by the possibilitygiven to the arms to undergo movements of limited extent in translationperpendicularly of the axis of the slideway.

The slide may be made to rise or descend in its slideway by known means,for example by a screw and nut mechanism whose nut is formed by theslide itself, in which case the rotation of the screw journalled in theslideway is advantageously achieved by means of an electric motor. It isalso possible to construct the slideway guiding the slide in the form ofa split tube containing a cable constituting a rack connected to theslide and to extend this tube along a suitable contour by passing itthrough an actuated mechanism comprising a gear pinion engaged with thecable and advantageously driven in rotation by a crank.

The two fixed centre slideways provided for guiding the end of the armsremote from the base of the window can be in one piece with the slidewayguiding the slide and thereby constitute a single-piece member made forexample from light alloy by a press operation or from a plasticsmaterial by a moulding operation. Another arrangement consists inconstructing the two centre slideways in a single member whose centrepart constitutes a planar surface the edges of which taper on each sideof the axis of symmetry and are connected to the adjacent ends, whichare divergent, of the slideways so as to constitute mouths which, whenassembling the window raiser, facilitate the insertion of thecorresponding guide rollers.

The invention will be explained merely by way of illustration in thecourse of the ensuing description with reference to the accompanyingdrawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a vehicle door equipped with awindow raiser according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic elevational view of a window raiser comprisingtwo symmetrical crossed arms;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the centre part of the windowraiser showing the arms in their dead centre position;

FIGS. 4 to 6 show modifications of the transmission device connectingthe motor to the screw of the window raiser;

FIGS. 7 and 8 show two modifications employing compensation springs;

FIG. 9 is an end elevational view similar to FIG. 1 of anotherembodiment of a window raiser having crossed arms;

FIG. 10 is a corresponding elevational view thereof;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken on line 11--11 of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view of the centre slideway;

FIG. 13 is similar to FIG. 2 and shows a modification of the windowraiser.

The automobile vehicle door 1 shown in FIG. 1 has, in the conventionalmanner, a generaly curved shape defined in the lower half of the door bya bent outer panel 3 which is assembled with an inner panel 4 forming abox structure 6 provided with means (not shown) for guiding lateraledges 7, 8 of a window 9 in the direction of arrow 11 (FIG. 2).

The horizontal lower edge 14 of the window 9 is fitted and retained in aU-section member 16 on which are fixed two horizontal slideways 17, 18which are spaced apart and disposed in longitudinal alignment with eachother. These slideways have a U-section whose opening faces the innerpanel 4. The sides 19 of each slideway 17, 18 have a concave curvatureso as to retain and guide, in the respective slideways, two convexcurved rollers 23 which are rotatively mounted on one of the ends 24 oftwo corresponding arms 26, 27 which are of equal length and areinterconnected at a short distance from their other end 28, by anarticulation 29 carried by a slide 30 guided in a vertical slideway andcapable of being driven in translation by means of a rotary screw 32which is engaged with a tapped hole 33 formed in the slide 30 which actsas a nut.

The slideway 31 is a U-section member which is open in the direction ofthe outer panel 3 and whose bottom 34 is fixed, for example by bolting,to the inner panel 4. The lower end of the slideway 31 has a transverseweb 36 in which is fitted a cup 37 forming a radial and axial bearingfor the end journal 38 of the screw 32 which further comprises an upperjournal 39 on which is fixed a pulley which transmits to the screw 32,through a toothed belt 41, the torque produced by a reversible electricmotor 42 which is suspended from a U-shaped member 43 fixed by bolts 44to the inner panel 4, the upper branch of which member 43 acts as aradial bearing for the corresponding journal 39 of the screw 32.

The sides 46 of the U-section slideway 31 form ribs 47 which are engagedin sliding contact with corresponding grooves 48 of the slide 30 so thatthe forces applied by the arms 26, 27 are transmitted to the slideway 31and not to the screw 32.

At each of the ends 28 the crossed arms 26, 27 carry a roller 51 whichhas the same convex curved shape as one of two centre slideways 54 whichare perpendicular to the screw 32, the U section of which is open in thedirection of the outer panel 3. The slideways 54 are fixed by means ofbolts 56 to the inner panel 4 on each side of the vertical slideway 31with which they may form a single-piece member. The axis X--X common tothe slideways 54 constitutes a horizontal centre line which the arms 26,27 may pass through notwithstanding their crossed assembly, in thecourse of their angular movements under the effect of movement of thenut 30, owing to the fact that one of the arms, 26, is formed by twosemi-arms 26a, 26b, located on each side of the other arm, 27, which isin a single piece, these semi-arms being rendered rigid with each otherowing to the special arrangement of the articulation 29 interconnectingthe arms at their crossing point (FIG. 3).

This articulation 29 comprises, on the nut 30, a journal 57 which isslidably engaged in a sleeve 58 which extends through apertures 59, 61,62 respectively formed in the semi-arm 26a, the arm 27, and the semi-arm26b. The peripheral surface of this sleeve has a cylindrical portion 63fitted in the aperture 61, which is of circular shape, of the arm 27 soas to allow relative rotation therebetween, and, on each side of thiscylindrical portion, prismatic portions 64 which are engaged with thesquare contour of the apertures 59, 62 so as to ensure that thesemi-arms 26a, 26b rotate together by means of the keying effect.

The arms 26, 27 are symmetrical relative to the axis Y--Y of the screw32 and they consequently make with the centre line X--X angles which areequal and in opposite directions.

In the embodiment just described, the arms 26, 27 form thin strips whichrender them flexible so that they are able to adapt themselves to thecurvature of the window 9. It is also possible to employ,simultaneously, relatively rigid arms which are capable of undergoingsmall displacements in translation, as suggested by the arrow 65, alongthe journal 57 together with the sleeve 58.

In FIGS. 4 to 6, the transmission between the motor 42 and the screw 32is by means of respectively mutually engaged gear wheels 67, 68, a worm69 and an associated worm-wheel, and an electrically yieldable coupling71 which directly connects the upper journal 39 to the output shaft ofthe motor 42, instead of the previously-described toothed belttransmission.

In the modification of FIG. 7, a spiral compensation spring 72 ismounted between the nut 30 and one of the arms so as to store energyduring the descent travel and thereafter restore this energy during theupward travel. The ends of this spring 72 could also be hooked to therespective arms. In the embodiment of FIG. 8, two spiral compensationsprings 73 are provided mounted around the spindles of the respectiverollers 51 and each connected to an auxiliary roller 74 retained in theslideway 54.

In FIGS. 9 and 10, the vertical slideway 131 for guiding the slide 130is part of a split tube 75 which contains and guides a control cable 80constituting a rack, one of the ends of this cable being fixed to theslide 130. This cable comprises, in the known manner, a flexible core 81formed by metal wires around which there is wound helically a wire 82performing the function of a rack. The split tube extends beyond thezone 131 forming a slideway in a contour comprising a curvilinearportion 83 followed by a rectilinear portion 84 which extends obliquelyupwardly in a vertical plane and extends through an actuating mechanism86 whose case 87 contains a gear pinion 88 engaged with the rack-cable80. The pinion 88 may be driven in rotation by a crank 89 fixed to ashaft 91 which is rigid, inside the case 87, with a fork member 92 whichsurrounds a braking spring 90 whose respective ends are engaged with abranch of the fork member and with a tab 93 of a guide plate 94 in acentre slot of which the pinion 88 is retained.

The journal 57 of the articulation 29 which is carried by the slide 130projects through the slot 85 of the tube 75. The assembly of the journaland slide is, for example, of plastics material moulded on the cable 80.

The two centre slideways 154 provided for guiding the end of the arms26, 27 remote from the base of the window, are formed in a single member96 whose centre portion 97 forms a planar surface whose edges taper oneach side of the axis Y--Y and are connected to the adjacent divergentends 98 of the slideways 154, so as to form mouths whereby it ispossible to insert in the slideways 154 in the open centre zone 97 therollers 51 which are already mounted on the end of the arms 26, 27.

Like the slideway carrying member 96, the case 87 of the actuatingmechanism and the guide sheath 131, 83, 84 are fixed to the inner panel4 of the vehicle door (FIG. 1).

In FIG. 10, the dot-dash lines representing the portion 84 of the splittube and the actuating mechanism, illustrate the possibility ofadaptation of the manually actuated window raiser of FIGS. 9 to 11, tothe geometric shape of different doors.

In the modification shown in FIG. 12, the slideway carrying member 96mainly comprises a flat strip 101 in which each of the centre slideways254 is produced by a double shaping operation on the strip, achieved bya blanking operation and a forming operation which form two flangeportions 102 having a convex cross-sectional shape for guiding thecorresponding roller 151 whose cross-sectional shape is concave.

FIG. 13 shows a modification of the window raiser of FIG. 2 which isdriven by an electric motor 42 through a screw-and-nut mechanism, inwhich the arms 26, 27 and the centre slideways 154 have the samearrangement as in FIG. 10. Further, the motor 42 is disposed in thevicinity of the lower end of the vertical slideway 31, immediately abovea case 106 containing and protecting the toothed wheels 107, 108 and thetoothed belt 109 which ensure the transmission of the drive to thebottom of the screw 32. In this modification, there is provided anend-of-travel stop 111 of an elastomer whereby the stoppage of the nut30 in the lowermost portion occurs smoothly.

In the arrangement of FIGS. 9 and 10, the guide tube 75 could be splitat 85 only in the region 131 where the slide 130 is guided. This regionmay be constructed in the form of a rigid section member having one endconnected to a flexible tubular sheath which is connected to theactuating mechanism 86, if desired through a second rigid section memberidentical to the first-mentioned section member.

Likewise, the rack-forming part of the flexible cable could be providedsolely in the region where this cable cooperates with the gear pinion 88and be constructed in a way other than in the form of a core 81surrounded by a helical wire 82, for example in the form of a rod towhich a rack profile is imparted by a rolling operation, or a stripprovided with equally-spaced transverse slots.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters patent is:
 1. A window raiser comprising two crossedarms of equal length which are disposed symmetrically relative to asubstantially vertical axis, each arm having at one end of the arm amember mounted thereon, a rectilinear slideway which is rigid with abase of the window being provided for each member and guidingly engagedwith the member, a common articulation for the two arms at a crossingpoint of the arms, a slide carrying the articulation, a slideway havingan axis coinciding with the axis of symmetry of the two arms andguidingly engaging the slide, a roller carried by an end of each armwhich is remote from the corresponding slideway of the base of thewindow, and two fixed slideways respectively guidingly engaging the tworollers and having an axis which is perpendicular to the axis of theslide-guiding slideway and defines a centre line on each side of whichcentre line the two arms are capable of undergoing movements.
 2. Awindow raiser as claimed in claim 1, wherein the arms are flexible.
 3. Awindow raiser as claimed in claim 1, wherein the arms have freedom tomove in translation to a limited extent in a direction perpendicular tothe slide-guiding slideway.
 4. A window raiser as claimed in claim 1,wherein a first of said arms is in a single piece whereas a second ofsaid arms comprises two semi-arms located on each side of the first arm,the articulation common to the two arms being adapted and arranged torender the two semi-arms rigid with each other.
 5. A window raiser asclaimed in claim 4, wherein said common articulation comprises acylindrical journal carried by the slide, a sleeve slidably mounted onthe journal and comprising a cylindrical bearing portion and twoportions which are on each side of said bearing portion and areconnected to rotate with the respective semi-arms, the first arm havinga circular aperture by which aperture the first arm is rotativelymounted on the cylindrical bearing portion.
 6. A window raiser asclaimed in any one of the claims 1 to 5, wherein the two fixed slidewaysare part of a single member having a centre portion which defines aplanar surface and has edges on each side of the axis of symmetry, whichedges are connected to adjacent divergent ends of the two fixedslideways so as to constitute mouths which facilitate the insertion ofthe corresponding guide rollers.
 7. A window raiser as claimed in anyone of the claims 1 to 5, wherein the two fixed slideways are part of asingle member in the shape of a flat strip in which strip each of thefixed slideways is produced by a blanking and a forming of the stripwhich produce two flanged portions having a convex cross-sectional shapefor the guiding of the corresponding roller whose cross-sectional shapeis concave.
 8. A window raiser as claimed in any one of the claims 1 to5, wherein a spiral compensation spring is provided around thearticulation of the two arms.
 9. A window raiser as claimed in any oneof the claims 1 to 5, comprising an elastically yieldable end-of-travelstop which is disposed at the lower end of the slide-guiding slideway.10. A window raiser as claimed in any one of the claims 1 to 5, whereinthe slide constitutes a nut and a screw rotatively mounted inside theslide-guiding slideway is screwthreadedly engaged with the nut and anelectric motor is drivingly connected to the screw for rotating thescrew.
 11. A window raiser as claimed in claim 10, wherein the fixedslideways are in one piece with the slide-guiding slideway.
 12. A windowraiser as claimed in claim 10, wherein anti-rotation guide means areprovided in the slide and in the slide-guiding slideway.
 13. A windowraiser as claimed in any one of the claims 1 to 5, wherein theslide-guiding slideway has the shape of a tube and a control cable iscontained and guided in the tube, the cable having one end connected tothe slide and at least a part of the length of the cable forming a rack,the window raiser further comprising an actuating mechanism, the tubeextending into the actuating mechanism which comprises a gear pinionengaged with the part of the cable which forms a rack so as to drive thecable in either direction, the articulation common to the two armsprojecting through the slot provided at least in the part of the tubewhich constitutes the slide-guiding slideway.
 14. A window raiser asclaimed in claim 13, comprising a braking spring incorporated in theactuating mechanism.
 15. A window raiser as claimed in claim 13, whereinthe split part of the tube which constitutes the slide-guiding slidewayis a rigid section member having an end connected to a flexible tubularsheath which is connected to the actuating mechanism.
 16. A windowraiser as claimed in claim 15, wherein the respective ends of theflexible tubular sheath are connected to the rigid slide-guiding sectionmember and to another rigid section member which is also in the shape ofa split tube and extends through the actuating mechanism.